Social Media: Is it Really Making Us Closer Or Doing The Opposite?

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Published on Wednesday, 13 May 2015 02:56 AM /
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Technology has without a doubt improved different aspects of life. It has made certain processes much faster and has eliminated problems caused by human errors. Because of this, more people have become reliant on gadgets such as mobile phones and tablets.

Of all the many benefits technology brings to the table, it is perhaps its ability to make exchanging of information much faster that is the most important. According to studies, people today are likely to possess smartphones and more than 80% are able to access the Internet.

Despite its convenience and advantages, experts believe that surfing the internet on mobile devices has transformed people’s behavior, making them less sociable. According to a recent study, at least 71% of adults from the United States use Facebook. Moreover, an additional 45% of Facebook users check their profiles several times a day, some reaching 20.

While others believe that it is a remarkable way of socializing and connecting with people, there are people who suggest that it is actually doing the opposite. According to the people who contradict that social networking sites help, make people close together, the problem lies with the effort of people to physically meet one another. This stops the cultivation of deeper real-life relationships.

Others however oppose such idea. They say that instead of hinders social development; such sites actually boost the face-to-face sociability. They claim that interacting does not replace it. These people argue that we can even expand our network with the help of sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Whether it is in the same country or not, they are able to make relationships even closer.

“Technology is distracting us from our real-world relationships “according to Larry Rosen, who is a well esteemed professor of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Despite this, a fellow expert named Keith N. Hampton expressed his rebuttal stating a different opinion than that of Ms. Rosen. Mr. Hampton, who holds the Professorship in Communication and Public Policy at Rutgers University’s School of Communication and Information, argues that technology is enriching those relationships and the rest of our social lives.

Technology has indeed made it difficult for some people to accept certain challenges especially those who value old practices. The question whether humans’ reliance on technology does more harm than good may never cease, but for now, it has arguably showed more benefits, which really makes an impact to lives.